IYCF Officer at Action Against Hunger | ACF-International

Location:  Maiduguri, Borno
Job Type: Full Time
Starting date: as soon as possible
Direct Line Manager: Nutrition and Health Sector Manager

Objective 1

• Participate in conducting counselling the pregnant women for the preparation of Breastfeeding and colostrum feeding. One to One tailored IYCF counselling sessions to all mothers with children under 24 months.

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Provide the Pregnant women with preparatory counselling for breast feeding and colostrums feeding, to ensure prevention of pre-lacteal feeds and bottle feeding.
• Counseling the mothers on good maternal nutrition during pregnancy and lactation.
• Provide tailored one to one counseling sessions, based on initial assessments, offering practical advice and education to mothers on the key issues of infant and Young child feeding practices.
• Ensure all mothers/care givers are aware of the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for the initial 6 months.
• Support the mothers suffering from insufficient milk production with advice on re-lactation.
• Discourage and educate mothers on the dangers of feeding bottles by exchanging used bottles for cups and spoons.
• Provide mothers with practical advice on correct attachment and positioning when breastfeeding, timely introduction of complementary foods and respond to any concerns or local taboos associated with IYCF.
• Counseling of mothers on the appropriate time to introduce complementary feeding promotion the continuation of Breast feeding.
• Educating the mothers on the quality, quantity and frequency of complementary feeds to promote adequate weight gain.
• Utilize the provided education material on breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices, relaying accurate, practical and specific advice for the mother’s needs.
• Ensure a comfortable, calm environment for counselling sessions and maintain good relationships with the beneficiaries.

Objective 2

• Maintenance of IYCF integration within all CMAM components.

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Ensure strong communication links with all other CMAM staff, providing advice and support to all other staff members on IYCF issues as and when they arise.
• Conduct education sessions within the surrounding community on the importance of IYCF practices in conjunction with community mobilisers.
• Aid in establishing mother to mother support groups (Community Health Groups – CHGs) within the community to provide additional support for mothers and extend knowledge of good IYCF practices.
• Play an active role on advocacy to promote proper IYCF Practices, antenatal and post-natal checkups, importance of institutional deliveries, vaccination and growth monitoring.

Objective 3

• Integration of IYCF care practices within PHC/MCH component run by government staff.

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Coordination with government CVs to incorporate IYCF into regular MCH services provided by them
• Building effective liaison with government staff and involving them into IYCF care practices even in cooking demonstration (where applicable)
• Biweekly/monthly meetings with CVs on IYCF related discussion, exchange of lesson learns/challenges/taboos.
• Documentation of own and CV experiences and challenges under IYCF implementation.

Objective 4

• Identify training needs of Health workers and Community Volunteers attached to facilities as well as conducting theoretical trainings if necessary followed by On Job Training (OJT).

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Contact the key nutrition stakeholders and identify training needs in each facility/mobile clinic.
• Under the responsibility of the nutrition program manager identifies key areas of training for the health and nutrition actors.
• Conduct training to facilities on IMAM, IYCF, micronutrient supplementation as per the needs identified through capacity assessment.
• Facilitate on the job training on all aspects of activities as per the proposal and to ensure that the health facility is able to move to the next phases of the project timeline.
• Work with the health facility in charges, health staffs and CVs attached to the health facility to identify properly and on time when the beneficiaries who must be transferred from the OTP to the stabilization center or any major medical site for treatment and different branches of the programme. Ensure that the transfers are actually well done.
• Build the capacity of the health staffs and CVs attached to the health facility to perform the appetite test for each potential OTP beneficiary and be sure that after the admission and consecutive visits.

Objective 5

• Represent AAH and the program within the community.

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Know and understand AAH mandate, Humanitarian principals and the current program.
• With the program manager, develop coherent messages and pass them to the community about AAH mandate, program objectives and approach.
• Build trust between AAH and the community.

Objective 6

• Rapid/detailed assessment of infant and Young Child feeding practices in mothers/care givers at Mobile clinics.

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Conduct Simple Rapid Assessment (SRA) of all mothers with children under 24 months that attend the OTP/SFP programme through the local Mobile clinics.
• Conduct detailed assessment of child feeding practices in women that require additional support or reveal difficulties.
• Maintain clear communication with all other CMAM programme staff regarding the status of beneficiaries.

Objective 7

• Participate in regular internal and external coordination for the program at LGA level and at state level when required.

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Establish good Relationship with Community leaders.
• Establish a network with the other actors in the working area (I/NGOs).
• Establish a good understanding of the program within the Community.
• Establish linked and meetings with the Community leaders and different group existing in the working area.

Objective 8

• Additional Responsibilities

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• This job description is not intended to be all inclusive and the employee will also perform other related tasks as required and is responsible for reporting and communication of progress and achievement of the specific assigned task.
• The IYCF Officer should be flexible and adaptable with regards to the implementation of the daily work/activities.
• The IYCF Officer is expected to conduct all duties in a professional manner following Action Against Hunger Nigeria mission staff regulations and charter including promotion of gender equality.

Internal & External Relationship
Internal:

• Deputy Nut & Health Program Manager: hierarchical relationship - technical support - exchange of information
• Nutrition & Health  Program Manager: technical support
• IYCF Assistant: Supervisor

External:

• State Primary Health Care Agency (SPHCDA), State Nutrition Officer, SMOH: exchange of information, coordination, training, supervision, influence on choice of technical options.
• LGA Team/ HF team/CV: Training, supportive supervision, influence of choice on technical options

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Health, Nutrition, Nursing or related field. Higher level Degree preferred
• Minimum 2 years relevant work experience in humanitarian contexts, with at least 1 year in conflict/insecure contexts.

Skills & Experience
Essential:

• Experience in CMAM, IYCF and community mobilization.
• Ability and willingness to frequently travel to villages and stay at the field.
• Willingness and capacity to be flexible and accommodating when faced with difficult and frustrating working conditions like long distance walking to screening sites.
• Capacity to supervise and coach health workers.
• Ability to work in an environment where there are physical discomforts associated with change in weather or discomforts associated with noise, dust or dirt.
• Professional, motivated, open, creative, mature, responsible, flexible and, culturally sensitive.
• Excellent team, budget and project management and representation competencies.

Preferred:

• Proficient in statistical and other softwares (Microsoft Office package, SPSS, SPHINX, STATA, EPI Info, ENA for SMART, GIS, etc.)
• Willing and able to be based and travel regularly within remote areas, where services are limited.
• Fluency in English.
• Commitment to AAH mission, values and policy.
• Proficiency with local languages (Kanuri, Fulani, Hausa)
• Previous NGO experience managing mobilization in different interventions (i.e. cash transfers, wash, Nutrition).
• Previous experience with AAH.